Abstract: A manual interface combines continuous and discrete control and display capabilities. The manual interface can be embodied by combining a haptic interface providing continuous control and display capabilities with one or more of multiple discrete selectors (such as tagged objects) providing discrete control capabilities. The manual interface can provide finer control and a richer sensory experience than is possible with conventional tagged objects. Further, unlike a conventional haptic interface device, the manual interface can provide easily selectable, multiple interactive possibilities.

Abstract: An intentional presence system in accordance with the present invention includes a transmitting device at a first physical location that is responsive to a command intentionally initiated by a first individual at the first physical location to develop a presence signal intended for a second individual at a second physical location. The intentional presence system further includes a receiving device located at the second physical location which is receptive to the presence signal and which is operative to generate an indication to the second individual of the first individual's presence with respect to the transmitting device.

Abstract: A computerized interactor system uses physical, three-dimensional objects as metaphors for input of user intent to a computer system. When one or more interactors are engaged with a detection field, the detection field reads an identifier associated with the object and communicates the identifier to a computer system. The computer system determines the meaning of the interactor based upon its identifier and upon a semantic context in which the computer system is operating. One specific embodiment of the present invention is a bead interactor system that is a user playable sound and light show system. When an interactor bead is positioned within the detection space of the bead interactor system, a sound sequence begins and continues to play unaltered until the bead interactor is removed or other bead interactors are positioned within or removed from the detection space.

Abstract: A computerized interactor system uses physical, three-dimensional objects as metaphors for input of user intent to a computer system. When one or more interactors are engaged with a detection field, the detection field reads an identifier associated with the object and communicates the identifier to a computer system. The computer system determines the meaning of the interactor based upon its identifier and upon a semantic context in which the computer system is operating. The interactors can be used to control other systems, such as audio systems, or it can be used as intuitive inputs into a computer system for such purposes as marking events in a temporal flow. The interactors, as a minimum, communicate their identity, but may also be more sophisticated in that they can communicate additional processed or unprocessed data, i.e. they can include their own data processors.

Abstract: A visual display of a panoramic region is provided in which a static context display is provided for an active display displayed in a mobile display window. Active images are sequentially generated and displayed from temporally sequential frames of visual data that each represent an image defining a region within a larger panoramic region such that at least two of the images define regions that do not coincide. Each displayed image is positioned on a display screen with respect to the position of other displayed images on the display screen in accordance with the spatial relationship in the panoramic region of the content of the displayed image to the content of the other displayed images. At some time during the visual display, one or more context images (a context display) is displayed while an active image is displayed. Each context image is at least part of an image represented by a frame of the set of temporally sequential frames of visual data.